The inaugural issue of the ISCI Journal was published in January 1976, since then the periodical has witnessed increasing patronage from cotton scientists from all over India and abroad. By 1990s, the 6- monthly journal had transformed into a quarterly publication to accommodate the rising number of articles originating from ICAR institutes and agricultural universities in which government funded research programmes were on the increase. EDITORIAL BOARD Subscription Information for Print Version
ICAR-CENTRAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON COTTON TECHNOLOGY
Copyright in respect of material published in the journal vests with ISCI. Requests for permission to reproduce matter/figures, etc. from the printed articles should be addressed to Chief Editor, Editorial Board, Indian Society for Cotton Improvement. However, the authors are free to reproduce part or whole of the papers, including data and figures, in their teaching notes, books etc.
Table of Content, Special Issue on 9ACRDN meeting and Information to Authors
Table of Content, Special Issue Purpose on the occasion 9ACRDN meeting in December 2023 and Information to Authors
Copyright (c) 2023 Indian Society for Cotton Improvement
OBITUARY TO Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Padma Vibhushan
OBITUARY TO Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Padma Vibhushan Renowned Indian Agricultural Scientist and Father of Green Revolution
Cotton and Textile Industries in Egypt: Constraint and Opportunity
This paper takes a close look at the agricultural policies, addressing the Egyptian cotton production sector, and policies that can potentially increase the competitiveness of Egypt's textile supply chain. It also suggests strategies to develop the textile and apparel sector of Egypt. This is an important pillar of the country’s Vision 2030 strategy, which is why the sector is promoted by a comprehensive set of policies and institutions. These initiatives are aimed to improve the vertical integration of the sector, modernize the industry, increase exports, and create employment. Further, this paper specially focuses on the economic importance of Cotton in Egypt, the previous achievements in the cotton sector by different relevant national and international entities, the recommendations on potential future actions to enhance productivity, value, and export of this commodity. The outcome of this paper is to provide a strategic Blueprint to enhance the competitiveness of the total cotton and Textile Sector in Egypt including its sub-sectors such as- cotton sub-sector and the textile and apparel sub-sector.
Egyptian cotton, imported cotton, textile industries
The Earth’s climate is in crisis and it is reaching the point where it’s beyond repair. Close to one-fifth (18.4 percent) of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from food and agriculture, over 50% of this is f from animal farming. Carbon that originates from biological sources such as animals, plants, trees, and soil is called biogenic carbon. This biogenic carbon is part of the natural carbon cycle and represents how plants utilize CO2 and sequester it into biomass — like cotton. Only natural, plant, and animal-based fibers have biogenic carbon whereas synthetic materials do not. The advertising and marketing industry has the power to encourage people to adopt low-carbon lifestyles and we must seize this opportunity before it’s too late. We must wean our global population off the fossil fuel-intensive lifestyles and increase the demand for climate-friendly alternatives. Cotton fibers are made from cellulose ((C6H10O5) which, by atomic weight, is more than 40% carbon. The average acre of cotton captures and temporarily stores 1600 Kilos of carbon in the lint alone. For example, 1 pair of jeans (roughly weighing 1 K) is equivalent to 1.7 Kg of CO2 sequestration. The collective efforts of the advertising and marketing industry - and the consumer brands we support — must unleash our superpower: the ability to influence the way that people think, feel and act.
Green House Gas emissions, Biogenic carbon, carbon footprint, Life cycle analysis
Performance Evaluation of Drone Mounted Sprayer for the Management of Sucking Insect Pests of Bt cotton
The present study was carried out to study the bioefficacy and phytotoxicity of Dinotefuran 8 % + Diafenthiuron 48 % WG (Kubieko) against sucking pests of Bt cotton through drone mounted sprayer during kharif2022 at Main Agricultural Research Station, Raichur, Karnataka. Water sensitive papers were used to record the droplet size, in addition the operational and performance parameters of drone mounted sprayer were also recorded. Results showed that uniformity of droplet deposition, droplet density (73 number/cm2), application rate (102.6 I/ha) and field capacity (1.66 ha/h) was higher with minimum spray drift (5.47 %) was recorded when drone mounted sprayer was performed at an of height of 1.2 m above the crop canopy. The compound Dinotefuran 8 % + Diafenthiuron 48 % WG was tested at three different dosages viz., 625 g a.i per ha (recommended dose), 469 g a.i per ha (25 % less ofrecommended dose) and 312.5 g.a.i. per ha (50 % less of recommended dose) compared with manually operated and power operated sprayers with recommended dosage of insecticide (625 g a.i/ha). The results indicated that test compound when sprayed with drone mounted sprayer at 469 g a.i per ha (25 % less of recommended dose) was found optimum and proved statistically on par with higher dosage of 625 g a.i per ha in managing the sucking pests effectively apart from getting higher yield (23.80 q/ha) with no phytotoxic effect on the crop.
UAVs, Drone mounted sprayer, Bt cotton, Bioefficacy, Sucking insect pest
Potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Cotton Production
Modernization of agriculture is mandatory in order to meet the objectives of high productivity, sustainability and improved livelihoods. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being used in practically every field these days and could be a potential tool in making agriculture more efficient. Increase in the UAVs in agriculture is being witnessed mainly due to developments in the low cost UAVs as well as an array of sensors for specific applications. The proximal sensor mounted UAVs are ideally suited for remote monitoring of cotton crop without the need to either damage or physically tamper the crop. Higher resolution images from UAVs can aid in site specific crop management (SSCM) of cotton, conserving resources and environment. This article reviews various sensors and their applications for better management of cotton crop. Also reviewed in greater detail are the potential application areas for UAVs in cotton cultivation.
Drones, UAV, Precision Agriculture, Sensors, Smart agriculture
Bioagent — A Potential Tool to Control Disease of Cotton Crop
Cotton enjoys a pre-eminent status among all cash crops in the country. It is one of the most important economic products of the group of fibers due to volume and value of production. Like any other crop, cotton is also in infested by many diseases which are usually managed chemically. Here in this experiment, different bioagents were evaluated against the cotton diseases. This experiment engaged total nine treatments including control from which, treatment T, (17.33 PDI) (Seed and soil application PfCICR i.¢., Seed application: 10°cfu/g @10g per kg of seed+ Soil application: 2.5 kg/ha at 30 & 60 DAS) followed by T, (23.22 PDI) recorded significantly low Bacterial leaf blight infection in comparison to the treatment T, i.e. control (45.17 PDI) in RCH 2 BGII hybrid in the pooled results for the three years i.e., 2020, 2021 and 2022. For Alternaria leaf spot disease in the pooled data of two years 2020 and 2021, treatment T, (7.83 PDI) (Seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens CICR (2 x 10®cfu/g) @ 10 g/kg seed + soil application of Trichoderma viride TNAU1 (2x 106 cfu/g) @ 2.5 kg/ha in 250 kg of vermicompost and sprays of Kresoxim methyl (0.0443%) followed by Captan 70% + Hexaconazole 5% WP @ 1.5 g/l) recorded significantly minimum disease as compared to the T, i.e. control (19.79 PDI) followed by T, (9.25 PDI). The highest seed cotton yield was recorded in the treatment T, (2542.88 kg/ha) followed by treatment T, (2299.55 kg/ha), respectively.
Cotton, Gossypium spp, Treatment, Control, Bioagents
Pink Bollworm Management in Cotton Growing Countries Across the Globe
The pink bollworm, a cryptic pest on cotton has garnered recent attention globally because of its outbreak in India where it caused huge yield losses on genetically modified cotton with 2 insect tesistance genes. Notably, this resilient pest has been identified in cotton-growing regions worldwide, except Uzbekistan. This paper explores several critical insights that have been overlooked in the realm of recommended strategies for managing pink bollworm (PBW), particularly in the context of India.
Determining soil and landscape requirements of cotton for use in land suitability assessment in Iran
The strategic importance of cotton as a source of fiber and edible oil for people, feed for animal, and a commodity for job creation makes cotton cultivation an economically important activity. Of late, some challenges have led to a decline in cotton cultivation in Iran in recent decades. This declining trend has prompted the Ministry of Agriculture, Jihad to put on its agenda a plan for attaining self-sufficiency in cotton production by 2025. To realize this, it is necessary to identify and prioritize areas in the country with suitable production potential for cotton cultivation. This can be done by conducting systematic land suitability assessment studies and analyzing the characteristics and quality of soil and climatic resources for cotton cultivation. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the soil and landscape requirements for cotton production that will be used to evaluate land suitability for cotton.
Cotton, Land suitability class, Soil requirement, Yield
Assessment of Cotton Genotypes for Salinity Tolerance at Germination Stage
An experiment was conducted for screening salt tolerant and salt sensitive cotton genotypes on the basis of germination rate, germination percentage and radicle length in the regional laboratory of Soil Resource Development Institute, Jashore, Bangladesh. Thirteen cotton genotypes were evaluated under six water salt concentrations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 dS m" and non-saline control. Differences were observed among genotypes with respect to decrease in germination rate, germination percentage and radicle length with increasing salinity levels. On the basis of relative performance, genotypes CB-12 CB-14, CB Hybrid-1, Rupali-1, JA-17/6, JA-17/5, JA-17/7 and DM-2 were identified tolerant while genotypes CB-13, JA/11-M, JA/9-I, JA/11-X and JA/10-J were in salinity sensitive class. Laboratory screening at germination stage appears to be an efficient approach to classify the genotype into salt tolerant and sensitive group.
Salinity, Germination, Genotype, Tolerant, Radicle
Phenotypic Correlation and Heritability Estimates in Bt and non - Bt Cotton Genotypes
A field experiment was conducted at the experimental area of the Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, during the year 2022 in order to determine the phenotypic correlations and heritability estimates in Bt and non-Bt cotton genotypes. The trial was designed in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. The material consisted of eight upland cotton genotypes viz. CRIS-129, BT-3701, FH-901, FH-142, MS-370, Sindh-1, NIA-Ufaq, and SGA-1. The observations were recorded on plant height (cm), sympodial branches per plant, bolls per plant, boll weight (g), ginning outturn percentage, seed index (g), seed cotton yield per plant (g) and staple length (mm). Analysis of Variance showed meaningful differences between the genotypes for most of the characters studied excluding seed index was non-significant. The phenotypic correlations indicated that traits viz. plant height, sympodial branches, number of bolls, ginning out-turn (%) were positively associated with yield. The results further revealed high heritability (h2 b.s) for plant height, sympodial branches, bolls per plant, boll weight, yield, ginning out-turn (%) and staple length, whereas low heritability was observed only for seed index. Promising genotypes can be used for hybridization programs in order to isolate useful recombination in the segregating generations.
Phenotypic correlations, broad sense heritability, Bt cotton, seed cotton yield.
Performance Evalution of Introduced Cotton Hybrids in Bangladesh
The experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Centre, Jagodishpur, Chowgacha, Jashore during the season 2022-2023 to evaluate the seed cotton yield, cumulative % of seed cotton yield, ginning characteristics and lint characteristics of seven (7) materials/lines. Six materials/lines were Chinese cotton hybrid and CB hybrid-1 was our local control. Among them, three (3) were introduced by Suprime Seed Pvt. Company Ltd. Which were encoded Rupali-1, White Gold-1, White Gold-2. Others three Y-1, Y-11 and DM-4 were introduced by Lal Teer Seed Pvt. Company Ltd. CB Hybrid-1 was taken as local control. Significant difference was found among the lines for the traits, secondary fruiting branches/plant, bolls/plant, un-burst bolls/plant, single boll weight (g) and seed cotton yield (kg/ha). Hybrid DM~-4 performed well in terms of seed cotton yield (4774 kg/ha) and showed the highest lint (1924 kg/ha) production). Hybrid White Gold-1 produced the 2™ highest seed cotton yield (4304 kg/ha) that was followed by control variety CB Hybrid-1 (4123 kg/ha) respectively. The Hybrid DM-4 showed the highest GOT (40.30%) percentage that was followed by Rupali-1 (40.00%) and Y-1 (40.00%). The Hybrid Y-1 showed the lowest micronire value (4.46 ug/inch) that was followed by the Hybrid Y-11 (4.82 ug/inch) and the control variety CB Hybrid-1(4.86 mg/inch) respectively.
Absorbent Cotton consists of the new fibres or good quality new combers obtained from the seed coat of various species of the genus Gossypium Linn., cleaned, purified, bleached and carded. It does not contain any compensatory colouring matter.
Copyright (c) 2021 Cotton Research Journal
Water Pollution from Wet Processing of Cotton-Based Textiles and Strategies for Its Mitigation: A Review
Wet processing involves all the activities which take place in aqueous medium after fabric formation. It includes singeing, desizing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing. Each of the process involved in the wet processing uses water and contributes to specific pollutants in the cotton textile industry. These pollutants badly affects the quality of effluent water by increasing the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), alkalinity, pH, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity and heavy metals and residual colour. The current review presents the various pollutants involved in each process and possible mitigation strategies for each pollutant.
India is the leading producer of cotton in the world, accounting for about one-third of the world acreage under cotton cultivation, with an estimated output of about 6 million tonnes in 2017-18 (ICAC). The country is second largest consumer of cotton in the world next to China and second largest exporter after USA. The Indian Cotton were designated as the most contaminated descriptions by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (TMF), Zurich, Switzerland as published in its biennial Cotton Contamination Survey despite the progress made in the Indian Cotton processing sector through the implementation of Technology Mission on Cotton and modernization of ginning and pressing units. Moreover this report was based on the response of around 15-16 participating mills from India. So, the present study was taken up to assess the extent of contamination of Indian cottons. A survey on the contamination of Indian Cottons, using the designed questionnaire, was undertaken in around 50 spinning mills spread across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh in Southern Zone; Maharashtra, Gujarat in Central Zone and Punjab & Haryana in Northern Zone. The varieties processed in the spinning mills that were covered in the survey include Sankar-6, MCU-5, DCH- 32, Bunny, H 4, MECH, J-34. The sixteen contaminants covered by the ITMF survey was taken in the study for comparison purpose. The study revealed that the major contaminants observed in the lot include fibres and strings of woven plastic and plastic films, sand dust, grease and colour marks, cloth bits, jute & hessian, metal parts, leaf bits etc. The plastic films were found to be the serious contaminant, which has adverse impact during dyeing process. The results reveal that overall contamination status of the cotton were graded as insignificant to moderately contaminated with less than 10% of the surveyed mills reporting severe contamination. The nature of the contamination also reveals the prevalence of man-made contamination and also need to develop appropriate packaging material. The study recommends that besides creating awareness on clean cotton picking among the farmers, it is necessary to initiate appropriate quality control at ginneries, so that the brand value of the Indian cotton is established at the global market.
Study on Quantity of Waste Collected at Ring Frame Drafting System for Different Hanks of Cotton and Polyester/Cotton Blended Roving
During roller drafting, some of edge fibres are moving away from the normal strand which are either collected as waste or get attached freely on the yarn surface which affects mainly the surface characteristics of the yarn. So this study aims to understand the amount of waste collected at drafting system for different hanks of cotton roving as well as polyester/cotton blended roving for different break drafts, traveller numbers and twist levels. The results shows that the fibre strand width increases while decreasing the hank of the roving for both cotton and polyester/cotton blended roving and while increasing the break drafts. The amount of fibers collected as waste at drafting roller increases with increase in fibre strand width, traveler weight and twist level.
Bonda waste (waste collected at drafting system)
Development of Eco-friendly Low Temperature Bleaching Process for the Production of Absorbent/Bleached Cotton
Raw cotton has to be treated with strong alkali and bleaching agents at elevated temperature (120°C) and pressure to remove the pectin, wax, nitrogenous substances and residual colour present in the fibre for the preparation of absorbent/ bleached cotton. These cotton fibres are used for medical and different industrial applications. In this study, an attempt has been made to prepare absorbent/bleached cotton at low temperature of 65°C using enzymes and bleach activators with prior demineralization treatment. The developed processes are compared with conventional preparatory process based on their performance properties such as absorbency, sinking time, sulphated ash, water holding capacity and whiteness. The results indicate that raw cotton could be converted into absorbent cotton by the developed low temperature processes consisting of demineralization, enzymatic and activated peroxide bleaching in a single bath. Such processed cotton fibres fulfilled the requirements as prescribed by Indian Pharmacopoeia standards. The treated fibres are subjected to FTIR and DSC analysis to know the effect of different treatments on the crystalinity and thermal behavior.
Study on Hairiness of the Yarn Produced using Cotton and Polyester/Cotton Blended Roving with Different Traveller Number and Twist Level
The edge fibres of the drafted strand coming from the front roller are either collected as a waste or poorly wrapped over the yarn structure. This poorly wrapped fibers forms hairiness on the surface of the yarn and also increases its protruding length during post spinning process. In this study, hairiness of the yarn were analysed by varying the process parameters that will affect the drafted fibre strand width and hence the amount of poorly wrapped fibres on the yarn surface such as Total draft, break draft, traveller number and twist. The hairiness of the yarn significantly increases while increasing the total draft and break draft. The hairiness of the yarn decreases with increase in the yarn twist level. The increase in traveller weight decreases the amount of hairiness significantly in 50 Ne combed cotton and 50 Ne polyester/cotton blended yarn whereas, in 80 Ne combed cotton yarn, increase in traveller weight significantly increases the yarn hairiness.
Mechanical Harvesting of Cotton : A Global Research Scenario and Indian Case Studies
Cotton farmers in India are looking for mechanization of cotton harvesting in the wake of reduced farm labour availability and significant increase in manual cotton picking cost. Small land holdings are making adoption of existing advanced pickers and strippers economically unviable. In India, considerable work towards development of viable and appropriate picker and stripper prototypes is going on for over last two decades. Field performance, fibre quality parameters, maintenance and fuel costs and economic returns, of 1-row cotton picker developed by John Deere India and finger type stripper developed by ICAR institutes are presented in this paper. In addition, an exhaustive review of the past work dealing with manual versus picker and stripper harvesting systems of cotton in terms of trash content, fibre quality parameters, maintenance cost, fuel above cost and economic returns are also presented in this work. Field evaluations have demonstrated that these cotton harvesters developed in India are performing at par with commercially available pickers and strippers used in USA and Australia.
Estimation of Economic Heterosis for Seed Cotton Yield Components and Fibre Traits of American Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
A Line x Tester analysis was undertaken to estimate the magnitude of heterosis in Gossypium hirsutum for yield, its component traits and fibre quality parameters in 16 cross combinations. These hybrids along with check hybrids CSHH 198 and CSHH 238 were planted. during 2013-14 at the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa. The analysis of variance indicated that the mean squares of genotypes were significant for seed cotton yield, number of bolls/plant, boll weight, ginning outturn, 2.5% span length and strength (g/tex) except micronaire value indicating the presence of variability among hybrids and their parents. Studies revealed that only one cross RS 2013 x CSH 2811 exhibited significant economic heterosis over the check hybrid CSHH 238 for seed cotton yield. Similarly for number of monopods per plant and seed index, the cross Jhorar x CSH 2811 showed significant positive heterosis. For boll weight, 2.5% span length, bundle strength and micronaire value none of the cross combinations showed significant desirable heterosis. The study reveals a good scope for commercial exploitation of heterosis as well as isolation of pure lines among the progenies of other heterotic F, hybrids.
Gateway to Sustainable Cotton Production — Experiments and Experience with Bt Cotton
Successful commercialization of hybrid cotton in early seventies and three decades later, the release of first transgenic Bt cotton in the beginning of current century made history in the annals of Indian agriculture. These two events pertaining to cotton plays vital role in Indian economy. In the last fifteen years of Bt cotton, India has witnessed dramatic advances in cotton scenario, be it the farmers, the civil society, the traders, seed and pesticide industry and the regulatory bodies. The country has marched ahead with a sustainable cotton production wherein interests of all stake holders remained intact and alive. Cotton area in India which was 7.66 M ha in 2002 crossed 12.66 M ha in 2014 after introduction of Bt cotton, unseating many food crops. The production never touched 16 M bales (170 kg lint each) prior to Bt cotton, reached 40 M in 2014-15. The productivity which hardly touched 300 kg/ha, exceeded 550 kg/ha in 2007-08 and 2013-14. India which was a net importer of raw cotton until 2002, emerged as major cotton exporter in this period. In fact, it exported as many as 12.96 M bales in 2013-14. On the economic dimension of the three recognised pillars of sustainability, farmers’ experience with Bt cotton has been good to very good with fewer aberrations. Tremendous increase in cotton area is the biggest testimony that the technology clicked very well without additional support from government extension agencies which is normally required to carry any technology forward. Farmers with small, medium and large holdings adapted Bt cotton to reap more yield and higher returns. At the same time, farmers encountered certain problems like multiplicity of varieties, availability of labourers at harvest time, prevalence of Jassids (Amrasca bigutula bigutula) and resistance to insecticides therein, increased incidence of para-wilt/sudden wilt, leaf reddening, emergence of pink boll worm (Pectinophora gossypiella) in central India, spurious seeds and compliance of refugia. Farmers perception of more water and more fertilizers by Bt cottons and a poor succeeding crop are wrongly placed and not limited to Bt cotton alone and had been experienced in pre-Bt era with HY V and HYB. Despite these issues, the Bt cottons occupied nearly 97 per cent cotton area in India. On the environmental dimension, Bt cotton exhibited efficient use of inputs like water and fertilizers helping conserve resources, reduced green house gas (GHG) emission and a low environment impact quotient (EIQ) field ratings. Depletion of soil nutrients in Bt cotton fields is primarily due to greater uptake and higher production which needs to be replenished. In terms of social dimension, the implications of Bt cotton on human health and nutrition are not fully known/studied and nothing adverse is established. On the contrary, farm families enjoy better social status due to higher income. The impact of transgenic cotton on biodiversity are complex and have been a subject of debate and discussion, therefore need further research and careful consideration. Bt cotton in India evoked a new discussion in the civil society about propriety of Bt cotton and other biotech products but one has to accept the fact the technology benefited the farmers and the country. There might be lacunae in the technology and/or its adaption but we have to weigh the loss and gains of technology on sustainability criteria. No technology/product is risk free, especially, if it is over/ injudiciously exploited.
Value-Addition of Cottonseed: Protein Extraction, Functional Characterization and its Application
The use of each and every part of any crop leads to additional income to the farmer and at the same time reduces the environmental burden caused by inefficient use of the by-product. Cotton is grown in over 80 countries and it is an important cash crop in India. India is leading country in production and total cultivable area under cotton crop. It is mainly cultivated for fiber which is main economic part of the crop, however its by-products namely seeds, stalks, hulls can be utilized for production of value-added products. Cottonseed is one of the important by-products which contributes to 2/3 part of seed cotton. After oil extraction, the left over cottonseed cake/meal has 45-55% of protein. This protein if extracted efficiently can be utilized in food, feed or other non-edible functions. The current review provides insights on protein extraction techniques, functional characterization of the protein and various edible and non-edible applications of the protein. The diversified uses of cottonseed proteins in food supplements needs further study.
Copyright (c) 2019 Cotton Research Journal
Review on Natural Fibers Based Nanocomposite Materials: Part - I
Biocomposites have vast applications in today’s era due to its light in weight, biodegradability and high strength etc in many fields. A composite material is produced from two (or more) distinct constituent materials with different physical and chemical properties which together result in a material with entirely different properties. These are classified into four types as particulate, fibre, laminate and hybrid composites on the basis of the reinforcement material used. Biocomposites are materials produced by a matrix (resin) and a reinforcement of natural fibers. Natural fibres are divided into three types based on their origin into animal, vegetable and mineral fibres and showed numerous advantageous characteristics in comparison to the synthetic fibres which include low cost, high strength to weight ratio, acceptable strength and have renewable and degradation properties, non- corrosive property, low density per unit volume and cause less health and environmental hazards. Main constituents of any lignocellulosic source are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and their quantity varies from one plant to another. Three hydrolysis processes are involved in the production of sugars and their conversion to ethanol and these are dilute acid, concentrated acid, and enzymatic hydrolysis. Different parameters were taken into account for the characterization studies of the cellulose crystals derived from the different sources and these are crystallinity index, surface morphology, topography, structural, elemental, thermal stability and their reinforcing capability.
Evaluation of Diverse G. arboreum Genotypes under High Density Planting System on Rainfed Vertisols for Earliness, Productivity and Fibre Quality
Seventeen G. arboreum genotypes developed at diverse locations across India were evaluated under High Density Planting System (HDPS) at 60x10 cm spacing during the kharif (monsoon) season of 2016-17 and 2017-18, at the research farm of ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur under rainfed conditions on Vetisols. The objective was to identify high yielding, early maturing and compact genotypes with good fibre quality for promotion through HDPS under rainfed conditions. The genotypes PA 08, PA 760, G Cot 19, TKA 9102/3, DLSa 17, PA 812 and PA 785 were at par with the check BG II hybrid Ajeet 155 with reference to earliness in terms of days to flowering. Under HDPS, four genotypes genotypes- PA 785, PA 812, PA 740 and G.Cot-19 produced significantly higher yield than the check hybrid Ajeet 155 Bt planted at recommended spacing of 90x60 cm. Genotypes PA 760, PA 740, PA 812 and PA 785 possessed fibre quality parameters comparable to the currently available BG II hybrid Ajeet 155. The high values of Spinning Consistency Index (129-145) in these genotypes reiterate their ability to produce yarn of high strength. Both, days to first open flower and days to first open boll could be used as reliable traits to screen for earliness in G. arboreum cultures.
Anatomy of the Stem Galls Caused by Cotton Stem Weevil (Pempherulus affinis Faust) in Resistant and Susceptible Cultivars of Cotton
Cotton stem weevil (Pempherulus affinis) is a pest which affects the stem of the cotton by forming exogenous gall and making the plant to lodge. The anatomical changes occurring in different varieties of cotton due to the infestation by Pempherulus affinis were studied. General reaction of the host after infestation was i) the periderm tissues of the bark was moderately affected and dilated, ii) cortex was modified by tangential expansion to limited extent, iii) secondary phloem underwent maximum changes of necrosis, crushing of tissues, obliteration of sieve elements, fragmentation of fibre bands, distortion of phloem fibres and diffusion of hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the ground tissue. This study exhibited a clear difference between the infestation level in resistant and susceptible varieties of cotton. Nadam, Exotica and Moco possess biochemical and physical modification in response to the weevil infestation to be resistant varieties, whereas LRA, MCU-5, Anjali, Surabhi and Sumangala lack these adaptations.
Tea Mosquito Bug Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse (Hemiptera: Miridae) : A New Pest on Cotton
Large scale cultivation of Bt cotton in India has lead to emergence of mirid bugs and mealy bugs as major pests. Infestation of Tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse, a sucking pest has been recorded for the first time infesting cotton. Nymphs and adults found to feed on young plant tissues. By its toxic saliva injected into plant necrotic patches have been seen as dark brown spots on leaves and stems. The infestation of H. theivora on leaves was comparatively higher under shade than sunlight. In the absence of nitrogen, infestation was nil and with all the elements, it was maximum.
Crop Performance, Soil Moisture and Quality Parameters in Bt Cotton as Influenced by Mulching and Nutrient Management Practices
A field experiment was conducted in a split plot design during the rainy (kharif) season of 2013 at Dharwad, Karnataka, to study the effect of mulching and nutrient management practices on crop performance and quality parameters in Bt Cotton. Mulching with cotton stalks@10t/ha and RDF+B@5kg/ha+Zn@10kg/ha recorded significantly higher number of sympodial branches/plant, total number of bolis/plant, boll weight and seed cotton yield over no mulch+RDF alone. Application of RDF+B @5kg/ha +Zn @10kg/ha recorded higher ginning percentage over no mulching.
Sustainable Fire Retardancy of Cellulosic Materials by Application of Plant Bio-macromolecules
The field of flame retardancy of cellulosic materials like cotton is facing lot of challenges since past few years due to the concerns of eco-friendliness, sustainability, etc. as the quantity of the chemicals used is high, toxic, expensive and have detrimental effect on the strength and hand value of the material surface at required add-on percentage. Therefore, there is a need to find an easy to apply, cheap, eco-friendly fire retardant chemical which can be effective even at low add-on% and has no detrimental effect when applied on the textile material. Scientists and researchers from different fields all over the world are trying to find a solution to this problem. In this regard, recently plant based bio-molecules have been tried for making fire resistant material. In this paper, the effect of various plant based bio-molecules on the fire retardant property of cellulosic textiles and the mechanism behind the thermal stability of the treated textiles has been examined. This review also enlightens us with the thermal kinetics of the textile materials treated with plant based bio-macromolecules.
Characteristic Analysis of Commercial Wound Dressings
In the current decade, the use of textile-based high-performance wound dressing is growing due to the demand for quick healing from the trauma, in-situ drug delivery and other functional requirements. Today different types of wound dressing materials are manufactured for different types of dressing i.e. primary, secondary, occlusive and semi-occlusive dressing. In this study, most commonly available wound dressings were evaluated and compared in vitro. Standard test methods were employed during the study to determine the absorbency, dehydration rate, mass loss (%) of dressing. It was found that the cotton non-woven based wound dressing had better absorbency than the synthetic or foam-based dressings.
ICAR-CIRCOT’s Training on Quality Evaluation of Cotton: An Analysis for 2014-17
A five day training programme on “Quality Evaluation of Cottonâ€ was conducted by ICAR-CIRCOT regularly for the benefit of various stakeholders on chargeable basis. After establishment as Technological Laboratory in 1923, training in CIRCOT started on stakeholders demand in 1932. Since then the training course has undergone significant changes in terms of duration and content. In India, cotton quality evaluation is accomplished largely by hand and eye, which is known to suffer from limitations of inconsistency, subjectivity and inaccuracy. Post- globalization, cotton sector all over the world had become quality conscious. Realizing the need for well-trained personnel, ICAR-CIRCOT conducted this training programme to evaluate quality of cotton on scientific and objective basis. Present paper analysed the trainee profiles, who attended training courses during 2014-17. Total 181 trainees attended training courses in 16 batches, out of which 97% were men, showing inequality in gender representation. Majority (98.34%) of trainees were from youth category (18-54 years of age), which is in conformity with the Youthful India profile. All trainees were educated, but 6.08% had education upto higher secondary. Training was conducted in graspable language, hence the lower education did not created problem to trainees. Among the trainees most of them belonged to general and other backward categories (87.85%), while 8.84 % and 3.31 % belonged to Schedules Castes (SCs) and Schedule Tribes (STs), respectively, showing less representation. The trainees attended training course were mostly employed and hence sponsored for training course with payment of Rs. 10000. Despite concession offered to weaker sections of society in consonance with the government guidelines, less number of trainees availed the benefit. Only 15 farmers attended training course, who had other profession or self-employment, apart from farming.